Acne.org Products
Hormonal Therapy
Efficacy
63%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Improvement significantly increases after 24 weeks.
Hormonal Therapy
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Any brand of oral contraceptive appears to clear the skin about the same amount, regardless of whether it is officially approved for acne treatment. Some people report complete clearing of acne symptoms and others see partial relief. However, artificially controlling your hormones is a serious decision, so it’s best to proceed with caution.
Hormonal Therapy
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
June 28, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
Does not help mood swings
I used Yaz for several years and had no issues really; however during the summer I was switched to the generic version and it all went down hill from there. I felt so sick that I literally went to the ER. It was and is the worst pill out there!
May 13, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
- Cleared up my acne.
- Made my skin softer and smoother.
Cons:
- Bothered my stomach/digestive system.
I had moderate acne and I started taking this in December of 2009. Within 2-3 months my skin was completely clear. I wasn't even getting an occasional breakout. It was amazing. It made my skin a lot smoother. I did not have any of the negative side effects such as mood swings, anxiety, or depression. The only negative side effect that did happen was that it bothered my stomach a lot. It caused be to have a disease called Ulcerative Colitis, and I wound up in the hospital. I had to stop taking it immediately. I'm not sure if this is common or not. If you are planning on taking this BC, do your research! And if you start having any weird symptoms, stop taking it immediately!
April 24, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Less cramps, bigger boobs, and best of all, much much better acne
Cons:
It takes at least 2-4 months to work, and before it does, my acne got worse - the worst its ever been. I would only recommend this product if you're willing to go through worse acne for about 1-2 months.
Even though I felt like giving up on yasmin within the first 3 months, after reading the reviews on this site I decided to wait it out for at least 3 months to see what happened. I've noticed that many of the negative reviews of this product are written within the first 3 months of taking yasmin, so I decided not to come to any conclusions until I had finished 3-4 packs of pills. After enduring the worst acne I've ever had - not just localized to my chin but all over my face, and deeper cystic acne than before - my face finally began to slowly clear up, and now after finishing 4 packs of pills, I am completely clear. Its truly amazing. I know that yasmin is not for everyone, but I think that if you're suffering from hormonal/cystic acne that you should give it a try, but only if you're willing to BE PATIENT and to let your acne get worse before getting better. There are no quick fixes to skin problems.
December 9, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No pregnancy, makes periods more regular
Cons:
Hasn't done anything for cramps (possibly even made them worse), leg pains, some neausea, serious side effects more likely than other birth control pills
I went on the pill for the sake of birth control & my doctor prescribed this one to me because I have moderate acne. I've been on it for a little over a year and I haven't had any serious side effects but I also haven't really had any positive effects either. It hasn't done anything for period cramps- they might have even gotten worse- I've been having leg pains, and I don't think it's done anything for my acne at all (but it hasn't made it worse either). I only pay around $3.00 because I'm on a health plan covered by my school, but without the health plan it's around $20.00. To be honest I didn't do much research when I wanted to go on the pill- my doctor just prescribed this one to me- but I learned (as of yesterday actually) that there's a lawsuit being filed against the company that makes YAZ because they don't tell us that the risk of serious side effects (such as blood clots) is higher with this pill than with most other pills. This information has made me really worried! I have an appointment with my doctor at the end of January and I'm gong to ask her to switch me to another birth control pill that's safer, just to be on the safe side.
November 6, 2010
Pros:
clear skin, controlled periods, not pregnant
Cons:
moody a week before period
ive been on it for a year and i actually lost weight and it cleared my skin. me breasts didnt get bigger. i would have breast tenderness a week before my period but thats about it. i never had regular periods and this helped me alot! i ran out of my perscription and havent been on it in 2 months. i did get moody the first month but thats done. i did break out a bit and i havent had a period. im not pregnant so its because of the sudden withdrawal of hormones. so i would recomend this for teens with irregular periods =)
September 11, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-Does help prevent acne from getting worse (if your acne is at least partly hormonal)
Cons:
-Does not clear acne
-Increased risk of DVTs, PEs, and stroke (this bc pill causes a significant risk of blood clots people!)
I was put on Yaz a little over a year ago to help with my acne and did notice a slight improvement over the year (nothing to jump up and down about). However, I recently decided the heath risks and expense of the prescription were not worth the small benefits so I stopped. I broke out BAD! Worse than before I was put on the pill for sure. Its been 2 months since stopping now and its only getting worse. I wish I would have never gone on it to begin with.
September 7, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
I love this pill so far its made my boobs a size and a half bigger
my face has cleared :)
I still have a great sex drive
and it hasnt effected my weight at all
Cons:
i get ocassional spotting but my docter told me its normal for the first month or two
and im emotional about stupid things but i am a 16 year old girl :)
I've only been on this for a month im 17 and i am sexually active with my boyfriend who i have been with for 2 years, but i didnt go on the pill for this i went on this due to reallllly bad period pain, which was causing vomiting and i couldnt even attend school but im really suprised with how fast it has worked for me im really happy with this and i recomend it to any teenage girl
for me it was a bit expensive though but i live in australia and im halving with my mum
July 25, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
not sure yet...
Cons:
nausea in the first week
I'm 24, had my first experience with acne last year but it cleared up over the summer when i was swimming at the beach, i would still get the occasional zit but nothing to what 2010 had in store...
i started breaking out a bit so the doc prescribed me Diane in April.... and my face went CRAZY. oil where oil had never been, pores enlarged, and two great big infections one either side of my face, heavy painful periods and crazy stomach problems.. i finally got those under control with Doxycycline and treating my skin with natural oils and masks... but the hormonal acne was still a curse. 2 1/2 weeks into Yaz and i've had some breakouts, in the conventional places next to my mouth, and my skin is a bit uneven, and theres hyper pigmentation everywhere...oh the joys of being a woman!
anyway i'm optimistic, everyone seems to think that it takes about 6 weeks or so to see any changes, and if Yaz clears this acne i will shout from the rooftops. yes boobs are bigger. and apetite is consistent, no weight gain thus far. i'm sleeping more and having vivid dreams. the nausea stopped completely after a couple of days, even when Yaz was taken on an empty stomach. heres to getting my face back! will update in three months to review Yaz progress!
December 7, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Didn't get pregnant while I was on it.
Cons:
Gave me complicated, cyst-like acne that is persisting 9 months after having stopped taking the pill.
Became depressed while on this pill (as well as any other pill I have ever tried, so this result is probably not typical).
Absolutely hated it. I have only been more moody while I was on Alesse. My skin was crystal clear prior to starting the pill and it ended up ruining my complexion and now I have many scars because of it.
November 13, 2009
Pros:
I know when my period will come within a 2 hour block. My breasts got bigger. I haven't gotten pregnant (we use condoms and the pill...my family is very fertile) Acne cleared up. no side effects
Cons:
My cramps got a bit worse-I didn't get cramps before. Possible weight gain-first time I've ever gained weight, may be from going to college but as a div 1 runner, I work out twice a day so weight gain was unexpected
Works great, no side effects, no bleeding between periods, you know exactly when your period will come and it helps acne
Pros:
Helped Acne
Regulated Periods
Lighter Periods
Eased Cramps
No Pregnancies
No weight gain